This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.A. xc2xa7119 with respect to a Japanese Patent Application 2000-354962 filed on Nov. 21, 2000, the entire content of which is Incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates to a sliding roof device and more particularly to a sliding roof device mounted on a roof of a vehicle.
As one of the conventional sliding roof device of this kind, a sliding roof device is disclosed in Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 7-69069. This device includes a housing disposed along at least front edge of an opening formed on a roof of a vehicle, a casing disposed along the housing, a driving force transmitting member slidably mounted and guided in the housing and driven by a driving mechanism and a sliding panel connected to the driving force transmitting member and being movable so as to open and close the opening by the sliding movement of the driving force transmitting member.
According to such conventional device, a pipe which is in floating condition at least at center portion is adopted as the casing and a cogged cable (for example, see Japanese utility-model laid-open publication 4-31358) is adopted as the driving force transmitting member. Therefore, the pipe vibrates large at the center portion and Is apt to rattle. Further, prior cogged cable has a spiral tooth portion and a helical gear which gears with the spiral gear and a motor for driving the helical gear are adopted as the driving mechanism. However, since a transmissibility of the helical gear is lower than that of a spur gear, high output torque is required for the motor and therefore the size of the motor is increased.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved sliding roof device which overcomes the above drawback.
According to the present invention, a sliding roof device includes a housing disposed along at least front edge of an opening formed on a roof of a vehicle, a casing disposed along the housing, a driving force transmitting member slidably mounted and guided in the housing and driven by a driving mechanism and a sliding panel connected to the driving force transmitting member and being movable so as to open and close the opening by the sliding movement of the driving force transmitting member, wherein the casing is formed by a flexible raw material and a plural engaging portions which are displaced at least one of upper and lower and front and rear are formed on the housing, and wherein the casing is securely engaged with the engaging portions so as to be arranged zigzag.
According to the above structure of the invention, since the casing is formed by the flexible raw material and can easily deform and curve, it is able to securely engage the casing with the plural engaging portions which are displaced at least one of upper and lower and front and rear and which is formed on the housing. Further, since the casing which is mounted on the housing is arranged zigzag or meandering and is surely held by its elastic restoring force, it is able to prevent the casing from rattling.